Assembly resumes to settle key matters
Assembly resumes to settle key matters
JAKARTA (JP): The People's Consultative Assembly resumed its
session after two weeks of recess yesterday, hoping to resolve
three crucial matters in the remaining 17 days.
The Assembly's ad hoc committee chair in charge of the State
Policy Guidelines R. Hartono said each of the five factions in
the Assembly would need several days to regroup to discuss
motions on general election rule changes, revocation of floating
mass policy and human rights protection.
"We have yet to reach agreement on these matters simply
because they are also being debated in the other ad hoc
committee," Hartono said.
The other ad hoc committee, led by Wiranto, saw another lobby
among leaders of factions yesterday to discuss the three motions
supported by minority factions the United Development Party (PPP)
and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).
"I hope we can clear all differences in the next two weeks,"
said Wiranto, who is also Army Chief of Staff.
The Assembly is scheduled to end its deliberation on Jan. 23
and will regroup in March to endorse decrees and the 1998/2003
State Policy Guidelines and elect a president and vice president.
A PPP representative, Muhammad Buang, said his faction
insisted on election rule changes to allow all political
organizations contesting the polls to administer the elections.
"The presence of representatives of poll contenders in all
institutions related to the elections will ensure a fair and
honest election," he said.
He said the motion to drop the controversial floating mass
policy, which bans political organizations from reaching
subdistricts and villages, was pursuant to the public's
expectation for democratization.
Buang said all the five factions had agreed on a draft of
human rights protection, but could not yet accept PPP and PDI's
demand for the Assembly to adopt it as a separate and more
powerful decree.
The dominant Golkar faction has suggested that the Assembly
accommodate human rights protection in a new section of the State
Policy Guidelines, but both PPP and PDI have not accepted the
offer.
Buang said Golkar's offer was a significant progress in
deliberations, given that the faction had previously failed to
elaborate human rights protection in its state policy draft.
The Assembly has decided to adopt Golkar's draft as the
outline of the 1998/2003 State Policy Guidelines. (amd)